Brush comb



E- DIETSCHE BRUSH COMB April 27, 1965 Filed Jan. 5, 1963 Jn rent or [19/(H0/67667/f W 5) United States Patent "ice 3 Claims. cl. 132-120 The invention relates to hair dressing devices such as combs and is particularly concerned with a brush comb. Brush combs of this general type normally comprise a series or row of teeth and rows of bunches or bundles of bristles arranged proximate the teeth, and also a handle for the device. Brush combs of this type are used particularly for grooming permanent Wave coiffures.

A comb for grooming waved coiifures is already known where the comb which is provided with a handle has a wide center portion which has no teeth and which is provided between the toothed portion and the handle. The actual toothed comb area is essentially decreased in size due to this wide center portion. In using a comb of this type which has a rather shortened comb area, the user must necessarily pass the comb through the hair more frequently than if the device were provided with a larger number of teeth. The combing by means of that type of comb thus takes a relatively long time. Besides, the

wide center portion that is of almost the same length as the teeth causes an undesirable smoothening or straightening of hairs that have already been combed. The wide center piece contacts the combed hairs and under certain conditions may destroy waves that have already been formed.

In a different permanent wave comb in accordance with the prior art a center portion is provided in the form of a thumb rest which also presents teeth. However, also this device involves the shortcoming that waves which have already been formed are at least partly destroyed by the thumb during combing.

It is an object of the invention to provide a brush comb which overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of known combs and which simultaneously affords additional utility as a result of it being provided with bundles or bunches of bristles.

In accordance with the invention a brush comb having a row of teeth and rows of bundles of bristles and a handle accomplishes the novel object in that the passage or transition from the brush portion to the handle has a thumb rest, and the teeth of the row of teeth are of different length.

The novel development in accordance with the invention obtains the advantage that the field of the teeth is relatively long. This relatively long field of teeth provides for rapid combing. The wide row of teeth reaches a large area, and it is possible with relatively few strokes to thoroughly comb the hair. In this connection the thumb rest is advantageously made shorter in length, i.e. substantially half as long as the teeth. A particular configuration of the back portion above the teeth at the rearward end makes it possible to shape the thumb rest in such a manner that the thumb and the index finger do not contact the hair which has been combed when the new brush comb in accordance with the invention is used. As a consequence the waves which have been formed are not disturbed. Furthermore, having the thumb rest disposed relatively far toward the front provides for advantageous leverage. Thus the new brush comb does not yield or flex during combing as has been the case in connection with known combs to greater or lesser extent.

A further development in accordance with the invention provides for alternate teeth in a row being of different lengths, and additional novelty and improvement resides $189,342 Patented Apr. 27, 1965 in the thickening or droplet-like formation of the ends of alternate longer teeth. The droplet-like thickening has the effect that the comb does not scratch the skin (scalp), but nevertheless the comb penetrates well. Similar shaping of comb teeth is known in connection with other combs, but the advantages of this improvement have not been realized heretofore incombination with brush combs.

In accordance with a further novel feature of the invention, rows of bundles or bunches of bristles are provided substantially parallel to the row of teeth, which bristles are shorter than the teeth. In this connection the bristles of the individual bundles or bunches are preferably of different lengths in a manner that the length of the bundles changes longitudinally of the brush comb in the direction of the handle of the comb. With the diameter of the bristles being the same long bristles are softer than the bristles in short bunches. These different lengths of bristle bunches provide for different hardness in the different areas of the brush comb. For strong heavy hair the comb is preferably utilized at its rear portion, i.e., where the short bunches of bristles are located, and where fine small locks must be combed out, the comb is preferably used at the front end where the bristles are softer.

In accordance with the invention the brush comb has a handle that tapers outwardly and is inclined with respect to the back'of the body of the brush comb. Thus the back of the brush portion forms an obtuse angle with the handle that is smaller than while the intersection of the legs of this angle is approximately at the location that is engaged by the thumb. This form of construction need not be sharp but may be rounded.

In an embodiment of an improved brush comb the rows of the bristles bunches are shorter than the row of teeth in a manner that at the beginning of the brush as well as the end the row of teeth projects beyond the rows of the brush bunches.

Further advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the brush comb in accordance with the invention. The comb comprises a brush portion 1 and a handle 2 which preferably tapers to a narrow end or point. The brush portion 1 is provided with a row of teeth 3 as well as with rows of bristle bunches 4. At the transition from the brush portion 1 to the handle 2 a thumb rest portion 5 is provided. The teeth 6 and 7 of the row of teeth 3 are of alternately different lengths and decrease continuously in length in the direction of the handle. The longer teeth 6 are provided at their ends with droplet-like thickened portions 8. The thumb rest 5 is made shorter transversely of the brush than the length of the teeth 6 or 7. In accordance with the embodiment shown the bristles of the bristle bunch 4 are shorter than the teeth, preferably also shorter than the shorter teeth 7 of tooth row 3. In the direction from the forward portion towards the handle the bristles in successive bunches are shorter, whereby the degree of stiffness is changed. The brush body 1 is inclined towards the handle 2 and forms an obtuse angle 9 therewith.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described, as variations are well within the scope of the invention.

Having now described my invention with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, I do not wish to be limited thereto, but what I desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A brush comb comprising a comb and brush portion having a row of teeth and rows of bristles in bunches, and a handle portion, said teeth being alternately of different length longitudinally of said row of teeth and decreasing continuously in length in the direction of said handle, and a thumb rest being provided laterally of said brush comb intermediate said comb and said handle portion, the length of said thumb rest downwardly from the back of said brush comb transversely of said handle being substantially less than the length of said teeth, said bristle bunches extending substantially parallel to said row of teeth and being arranged in two rows, one on each side of said row of teeth, and the length of said bristles being shorter than the length of the teeth proximate to said bristles and both, the length of said teeth and of said bristles decreasing in the direction of said thumb rest, with the decrease in the length of the bristles being greater than the decrease in the length of the teeth.

2. A brush comb comprising a comb and brush portion having a row of teeth and rows of bristles in bunches, and a handle portion, said teeth being alternately of different length longitudinally of said row of teeth and decreasing continuously in length in the direction of said handle, and a thumb rest being provided laterally of said brush comb intermediate said comb and said handle portion, the length of said thumb rest downwardly from the back of said brush comb transversely of said handle being substantially less than the length of said teeth, said bristle bunches extending substantially parallel to said row of teeth and being arranged in two rows, one on each side of said row of teeth, and the length of said bristles being shorter than the length of the teeth proximate to said bristles and the length of the bristles in the bundles declining longitudinally of said brush comb in the direction of said handle portion while the distances between the ends of said bristles and the ends of said teeth increase continuously.

3. A brush comb comprising a comb and brush portion having a row of teeth and rows of bristles in bunches, and a handle portion, said teeth being alternately of different length longitudinally of said row of teeth and decreasing continuously in length in the direction of said handle, and a thumb rest being provided laterally of said brush comb intermediate said comb portion and handle portion, the length of said thumb rest downwardly from the back of said brush comb transversely of said handle being substantially less than the length of said teeth, said comb and brush portion and said handle portion presenting back portions and said back portions being disposed at an obtuse angle relative to one another with the intersection of the legs of said angle being disposed proximate said thumb rest and the transition from the back portion of said brush and comb portion to said handle portion being rounded said bristle bunches extending substantially parallel to said row of teeth and being arranged in two rows, one on each side of said row of teeth, and the length of said bristles being shorter than the length of the teeth proximate to said bristles, and both, the length of said teeth and of said bristles decreasing in the direction of said thumb rest, with the decrease in the length of the bristles being greater than the decrease in the length of the teeth.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,328,120 1/20 Bricker 132-120 2,164,387 7/39 Crawford 132122 2,272,151 2/42 Hertzberg l32-120 2,473,227 6/49 Solomon 132-120 2,886,840 5/59 Spratlin 15160 FOREIGN PATENTS 833,030 7/38 France. 823,329 12/51 Germany.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner. 

1. A BRUSH COMB COMPRISING A COMB AND BRUSH PORTION HAVING A ROW OF TEETH AND ROWS OF BRISTLES IN BUNCHES, AND A HANDLE PORTION, SAID TEETH BEING ALTERNATELY OF DIFFERENT LENGTH LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ROW OF TEETH AND DECREASING CONTINUOUSLY IN LENTH IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID HANDLE, AND A THUMB REST BEING PROVIDED LATERALLY OF SAID BRUSH COMB INTERMEDIATE SAID COMB AND SAID HANDLE PORTION, THE LENGTH OF SAID THUMB REST DOWNWARDLY FROM THE BACK OF SAID BRUSH COMB TRANSVERSELY OF SAID HANDLE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID TEETH, SAID BRISTLE BUNCHES EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID ROW OF TEETH AND BEING ARRANGED IN TWO ROWS, ONE OF EACH SIDE OF SAID ROW OF TEETH, AND THE LENGTH OF SAID BRISTLES BEING SHORTER THAN THE LENGTH OF THE TEETH PROXIMATE TO SAID BRISTLES AND BOTH, THE LENGTH OF SAID TEETH AND OF SAID BRISTLES DECREASING IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID THUMB REST, WITH THE DECREASE IN THE LENGTH OF THE BRISTLES BEING GREATER THAN THE DECREASE IN THE LENGTH OF THE TEETH. 